Jason Bonham says this is not the time to discuss his Led Zeppelin project. John Bonham’s son has been touring his group’s show, a tribute to Led Zeppelin, since 2009.
Now, Jason says he never found the opportunity to speak personally about Robert Plant’s feelings about the legendary band’s legacy.
In a recent episode of The Eddie Trunk Podcast, he revealed that when he was in Nashville recording with Sammy Hagar, Plant happened to arrive for a visit. “I was still working with Sammy and the Circle in the studio, and then in the evening I’d go sit with Robert, just the two of us with my wife, and just go over old stories and laugh and cry,” he said.
We hadn’t had any interactions like that in a very long time. … He said, ‘What are you up to?’ I said, ‘Well, I play with this guy, Sammy Hagar,’ and he was like … ‘OK, and … ?’ ‘And of course I’’ll be doing my other thing.’ And he goes, ‘Don’t look at me with those eyes and go, “The other thing.” You mean with Zeppelin? … Good on you. Just make sure you do it with honesty and love, because that’s how you have to do it.’”
Bonham admitted that it was “a very cool moment” where it gave them a chance to discuss Zeppelin like never before, “because there were always people around.” “He goes, ‘All you have to remember is … some of these songs bring back a time in my life which wasn’t great. I was in a wheelchair after almost dying in a car crash … I was in pain.’ … I remember being there and seeing him being wheeled in. He goes, ‘I couldn’t do anything for myself, but I still was going to do another album, and there I was in a wheelchair with my leg straight.’ And he sang the way he did on those songs, so God bless him for that.”
Robert Plant’s favorite song was “Achilles’ Last Stand,” from the 1976 album Presence, that’s what Bonham believed he answered when he was asked about his favoring Zeppelin track.
“[Plant] said, ‘If I ever play somebody something … this is it. Listen to this – this is what we had.’ He was very proud of that [song].”
Bonham added about the compliment Plant gave to him:
“Anybody saw Jason? OK, that’s how Led Zeppelin used to sound.” “It was very nice of him,” Bonham said.